The Illusion of the Nothing
by Obliterating June
Summary: Naraku sent a puppet disguised as InuYasha to say heartbreaking things to Kagome to send her back down the Bone Eater's well in which he cursed so that she couldn't return. Can InuYasha and Co. break the curse and bring Kagome back or is she stuck in her time permantly?
1. Loss of the Forest

"What a thing to say - and on my birthday!" Kagome shrieked at InuYasha while turning away from the Goshinboku and furiously sprinting towards the Bone Eater's well.

Once the young woman was beyond sight, the illusion of the hanyou disappeared, revealing a puppet belonging to Naraku. It had been easy to fool the priestess. He had watched her and her half-breed for weeks, learning their routine, how to upset her as the annoying dog did. Now she was leaving again, down the mysterious well. Naraku had yet to figure out where she disappeared to every time she jumped down the mythical well but he had devised a plan to curse it so she couldn't come back. A wicked laugh escaped him as he disappeared moments before InuYasha charged into the small clearing, screaming curses at his fleeting cloud of miasma.

"Naraku, you bastard! Come back and fight me, you coward!" InuYasha swung his transformed Tessaiga towards the cloud of miasma, hoping to damage the evil hanyou. "Damn it! What did you do to Kagome!? Naraku!" The red-clad hanyou sheathed his sword as he sniffed the air to catch Kagome's scent only to realize the miasma in the air had distorted it. Muttering curses under his breath, he crouched down and began to sniff the forest floor for her trail. Oblivious to him, three of his companions were rapidly approaching the clearing as he stood from his crouch, having caught Kagome's scent trail. He lowered his head as he whispered, "If only I'd just gone over when she called…" InuYasha could smell the anger and tears. Whatever that notorious spider had told Kagome had upset her greatly and now she was back in her time.

Kirara landed in Goshinboku's clearing with Miroku and Sango riding on her back. They had all been at Keade's hut when Kagome left to look for InuYasha who had been scouting the forest.

He kept insisting he sensed a demonic presence but could never find what it was or where it was coming from.

She felt he had been gone too long and decided to go check on him, thinking he might have been secretly sulking in his favorite ancient tree after yet another day with no gossip about the Shikon Jewel or the dastardly fiend.

When they heard InuYasha yelling and felt the too familiar presence of Naraku suddenly being in the area, they had rushed to get there, only to find InuYasha with his head down and whispering to himself.

Miroku was the first to speak up as he jumped off Kirara's back to run up to InuYasha, his staff jangling and his wind tunnel poised ready to open in case there was still a threat to be dealt with. "Well? What happened? I want all the details!" He demanded of the sulken hanyou as he lowered his hand. After several long moments without an answer, Miroku shook InuYasha by the shoulders to gain his friend's attention.

"H-how long have you been standing there?" The hanyou stepped back, startled that he hadn't noticed his friends' approach. He had been so lost in himself, worry eating at his heart over Kagome and what Naraku possibly said to her to make her leave.

"Tell me what you saw, for her sake!" Sango nearly cried with concern over InuYasha's let down guard and the fact Kagome was nowhere to be seen.

InuYasha's ears laid flat against his skull as he looked at his friends, unable to hide the fear that was engulfing him, his voice was barely audible as he relinquished the details of what little he had seen to his companions.

Shippo hopped from one foot to the other anxiously as he looked up at InuYasha, his voice wailing. "You idiot, how could you let Kagome leave without saying goodbye?!" The four sullen appearing companions had just returned to Keade's hut and Kagome wasn't with him, so the fox kit automatically assumed InuYasha and Kagome had fought once more.

Surprisingly, Miroku was the one to whack the kit across the head with his staff as InuYasha marched past without saying a word, only lowering his head further to hide the pain in his eyes.

Sango quietly scolded Shippo as she picked him up before informing him what had transpired.

InuYasha sat across the firepit from Keade and quietly explained what happened with Naraku and then discovering there was an evil aura surrounding the Bone Eater's well that he and Miroku couldn't breech.

Keade hummed thoughtfully as she processed the information her young friends revealed. It had been many years since she last dealt with such a situation. "I must visit the well to see what ye two have told me, only then will I know how to help ye get Kagome back through the well."


	2. Traitors of Time

Kagome immediately collapsed on the ground at the sight of the well house. She had returned to her time. The cruel words InuYasha had shouted rang through her mind endlessly and devastated her. She wasn't accustomed to him declaring so venomously that she was useless, aside from detecting jewel shards, and a burden. The rancor in his voice broke her heart, how convinced he sounded that she actually was a useless burden. Kagome wept where she remained until her eyes ran dry and her voice became hoarse from berating herself. She haltingly gathered herself and dragged herself up the ladder to leave the well house, making the slow trek across the yard to her house. She bit back a sob as she passed the Goshinboku before darting the last stretch to her front door. Barging into the house, she ran upstairs to her room and crashed onto her bed. "Stupid, stupid, stupid girl…" She muttered to herself as more tears suddenly poured from her eyes.

There was a quiet knock on her bedroom door before she heard it open and someone lightly stepped into her room. "Kagome? Dear, are you okay? Tell me what happened, dear…"

Before she could stop herself, she was throwing herself into her mother's arms and sobbing on her mother's shoulders.

Mrs. H wrapped her arms around her daughter in a tight embrace as she patted her back, whispering soothing words only a mother knew to say.

"Oh, mama! InuYasha was so cruel! He had so much hate in his voice… I've never heard him sound so vicious towards me… He told me I was a useless burden only good for detecting jewel shards… That if I wasn't able to do that, he would've killed me the first chance he had…"

Mrs. H slowly moved herself and her distraught daughter to the bed, sitting them both down as she continued to hold her daughter. "Honey, are you certain that was InuYasha saying those things? Surely you know he loves you and wouldn't say such cruel things… Didn't you tell me once that you and your friends were after some enemy who had once torn InuYasha and Kikyo apart by acting as the other?"

Kagome considered what her mother said for several numbing moments, worrying her bottom lip. How was it anytime she had issues with InuYasha, her mother always had an answer that should have been glaringly obvious? "I couldn't detect Naraku, his minions, or his puppets though… There was no trace of Naraku… How could he have possibly managed to disguise himself as InuYasha and not be detected?"

"I don't know, dear. You did tell me that he is always finding new ways of hiding himself from you and your friends. Maybe he found a way too?" Mrs. H stroked her fingers through her daughter's hair, trying to sooth and comb out her tangled locks at the same time.

Kagome relaxed against her mother as she continued to process what her mother had said. _It was possible… Was Naraku really that desperate to get rid of her? Maybe she should return to the feudal era to find out more._ "I'll rest tonight then return tomorrow to find out, mama. Thank you. You always know what to do and what to say."

"You're welcome, dear. How about I draw you a hot bath and when you're done, you can eat some dinner? I'll make your favorite curry." Mrs. H smiled at Kagome as she stood to exit the room and do just as she had suggested to her daughter.

"Okay, mama." Kagome smiled at her mother as she wiped away her tears and laughed shakily.

Dinner was finished by the time Kagome walked downstairs after her bath and it smelled amazing. Her mouth watered slightly, reminding her that she hadn't ate since that morning. "It smells delicious, mama!" She hurriedly sat at the table across from her mother to begin eating, only blushing slightly when her mother giggled quietly while sipping tea.

"I'm glad you like it, Kagome." They enjoyed a quiet dinner together as Grandpa and Sota were out of town for the evening. Once dinner was finished, they washed the dishes and said goodnight before going to bed.

As Kagome laid in her bed, her mind pondered everything that had happened. InuYasha's, or possibly Naraku, cruel words still brought tears to her eyes. Before she could stop the tears, she was crying again until she drifted into a restless sleep filled with nightmares of Naraku.

The next morning came too early, Kagome awoke feeling anxious about the day. She had nightmares through the night about Naraku doing heinous things to InuYasha and her friends. Pushing herself up and out of bed, she dressed in a comfortable skirt and a light sweater before checking her backpack to make certain she still had plenty of supplies. She knew she was procrastinating but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that kept washing over her. Kagome eventually gathered the nerve to head downstairs for a quick breakfast before walking to the well house. Her senses were fully extended as she approached the well, she feel a darkness seeping out of it seemingly gathering in a thick fog. _Something's not right… What is this?_ Kagome pondered as she reached out to touch the darkness. She stumbled backwards as the darkness stung her in rejection has her spiritual powers purified some of the fog. _Something definitely isn't right!_ She quickly expanded her powers and purified the room of the darkness before jumping down the well only to hit solid ground. _Ow! The well didn't open… Oh no…_ She clambered up the ladder before jumping back into the well, once more landing on solid ground. _Oh… This isn't good… If I can't get back, everyone's going to worry and I won't be able to tell them this is definitely Naraku's doing…_ She raced out of the well house and to Goshinboku to see if there was darkness around the ancient tree too. Thankfully, there was none that she could sense or see. Sighing with some relief, she pressed her forehead against the trunk of the tree as she leaned against it, thinking about how to fix the situation she was in.


End file.
